Improvement in fire-escapes



"Z Sheets-Sheet 2..

'.R. GIlLcHRmsT.

` FIRE-ESCAPE.

Patented June l2. 1877.

INVENTOR WIT-N ESSES ATTORNEYr Nz PETERS. PHOTO-LETNOGRAPNEE WASHINGTON' Dy C.'

4be received in turning short.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lROBERT, GILoHRiEsT, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

i IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. `191,953, dated June 12, 1677; application filed March 10, 1877.

of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon. l

This inventlon has relation to improvements in portable `ladders for tiremens use, and for other purposes and the nature of the invention consists, first, in an iron truck-frame, having adjustable transverse braces, upon which the ends of a tilting sub-platform will res t,'and by which said tilting will be controlled; second, 'in combining with atruck having atilting sub-platform anda gear-wheel on the journal thereof, a worm journaled in the truck and engaging with the said gear, and a mech` anism for actuating the said Worm 5 third, in combining with a sub-platform and an upper' platform, carrying a ladder apparatus, and vibrating horizontally in relation thereto, a master-wheel upon the 'under side of the latter, a gear-Wheel upon the former engaging therewith, and supporting rollers intermediate the two platforms, whereby the ladderplatform maybe turned at any angle to the truck, and will be properly supported at all times; fourth, in combining with a ladderplatform and a tiltingsub-platform carrying the same, the inclined end braces, detachable sections socketed into the lower ends of the same, adjustable rods at the ends of the said sections at one end `of 'the frame, and adjustable rollers at the other; iifth, in combining a truck of a irelladder and a vibrating ladderplatform mounted thereon.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates the truck of my improved tiremans ladder, having at each end an arched portion, a, under which the transporting-wheels B will The truckframe is composed of two parallel reach-bars,

-b, rigidly braced at each end by bars b', at

the middle of the length of which isa disk, c, which is one section of the fifth-wheel. The other sections, 01, of the fifth-wheels are bolted to strong metallic crossbarscz, which are sup" ported by and'secured to the springs c4 at Veach end, the latter being firmly secured at their under sides to the axles c5 of the trailsporting-wheels B. Sections c el are connected by the usual Vking'bolts d, and either lifthwheel may be locked against vibration by means of a pin, d1, passing through registering perforations in the disks c c1.

By this means the truck, in taking position before a burning building, can be controlled from either end, andl is thus rendered independent of any obstructions in the roadway, which, without backing, would constitute an insurmountable barrier.

Bl representsa rock-shaft or plate journaled in the reaches of the truck, to which a subplatform, B2, is rigidly secured. This platform is of lesswidth than the truck, and vi-A brates freely in the length thereof. The extent of this vibratory movement is controlled by `means of strong metallic bars d2, extending across the truck from reach to reach, and adjustable to or from the ends of the" sub-platform aforesaid. Upon this platform is mounted the whole superstructure of `the latter, and it is operated to assume a horizontal position by means of a worm-screw, d3, journaled in the truck sides, and engaging with a `gearwheel upon the journal of the rock-shaft or plate B1; Vorm d3 is actuated through the medium of beveled gears e el, a shaft, e2, and a suitable crank-lever. The truck being' upon a hill-side, this property will be indispensable. y B3 represents a horizontally-vibratlng plattform, pivotally connected with platform B2 by means of a center bolt or pin, f. This bolt also extends to, and is connected with, the rock-shaft aforesaid. Platform B3 has upon its under side a master-wheel, C, into which a gear-wheel, C2, meshes. The latter is actuated to swing the ladder-carrier by means of a crank-arm applied upon the end of the shaft of gear-wheel C2, and the carrier is supported during such operation on rollers U3, suitably journaled on platform B2, and bearing either against the master-wheel or the under side of the carrier. This latter platform has at each side vertical sockets g, arranged at the tour angles of ,a square, and registering with similar sockets g1 upon the truck. Through these .of knuckle-pins h.

`having each a set-screw, t'.

sockets pass strong metallic bars, which, when clamped by set-screws g2, the carrier-plattbrm being'in position vfor transportation, with its length in the length of the truck, will prevent the said platform from swaying from side to side, or serve as supports, as shown in Fig. 1, when the length of the carrier is at right angles to that of the truck.

Upon the upper platform are two spaced uprights, l), between which the ends ot' the lower section of the ladder E are applied. These uprights are braced, by suitable iron rods f', to the platform. El represents suitable inclined braces, pivoted at one end to the upper extremity of the uprights, and extending beyond the ends of the carrier through clips F, into which they are secured by means Upon the lower ends of these braces sockets h1 are rigidly secured, into which are received extension-arms E2. These arms are secu red to the braces by means of pins a, passing through perforations, respectively, in the socket and said arms, and they fall short of reaching the ground. These arms are readily detachable, and are provided upon their free ends with vert-ical sockets h2, F1 represents rigid rods, passing through the sockets h2 at one end of the platform, and clamped in proper position for supporting the saine by the set-screws aforesaid, and F2 the shanks of' two strong metallic casters, F3, which support the remaining end of the carrier-plat form, and materially aid in swinging the same. These casters may be used at both ends ofthe platform, or the rods aforesaid may be em- V ployed in those positions.

The rods and casters being vertically adjustable, no difficulty in supporting the standards,owing to inequalities of the soil, will be met with, and, the extensions being detachable, they will' not be an obstacle to transportation.

To support the standards'laterally I employ strong wooden props, G, pivoted, by means of knuckle-pins t", to a suitable hinge-plata?. 'lhese rods at theirfree ends bear against the ground, and will adapt themselves to inequalities in the soilauto'matically, and they are prevented from loosening their hold lthereon by means of a chain, G', extending around the said stays or props, and secured at both ends to the truck.

Y The ladder E is composed of several sections, h, detachably secured to each other. The lower section is connected to the uprights by means .of a metallic rod', j, extending through the lower end of the ladder. Upon this rod, between the uprights, is a sliding reel, I, upon which is rolled a section or sections ot hose, and at each side thereof a gearwheel, I1, which is keyed upon the rodV or shaft and rigidly 'secured to the rails of the lower section h1. Each of gears I1 meshes with a worm, I2, arranged in bearin gs at each side of the platform, to which motion is imparted for raising or lowering the ladder by means of suitable gears j upon the wormshafts,.which engage with gears k nponia transverse shaft, K, to which motion is imparted directly1 or through the-medium of meshing gears K1 K2, and suitable crankworms l2 and gears I1 being at each side of the ladder, and being actuated by the same mechanism, the ladder is prevented from twisting, warping, or being otherwise racked.

The ladder-section h has upon its upper ends strong metallic sockets L, into which the rabbet-ed ends of the sections next above are adapted to be received. The sockets L are secured in placeA by means of bolts l, which pass through the said sockets from side to side, and are secured into position by nuts tapped on their projecting ends. The upper sections are secured to thelower onesby means of similar bolts Z1, similarly applied, or by means of knuckle pins or bolts l2. Bolts l will each be provided with a sheave or pulley, M, which is loosely applied thereon, and may he adjustablyplaced in any desired position between the rails of the ladder-sections, to correspond with the position of the reel afore said, which is also loosely applied upon its shaft, and has a like adjustment thereon.

N represents legs or arms loosely pivoted to the upper ends of the rails of the upper section, from which chains O depend.

These legs may be used as guys to steady the ladder by fixing their free ends upon a ledge or sill of the burning building, and the chains attached thereto may he drawn close to the windows below the top of the ladder by persons on the ground, so that by clinging to the chains the occupants of the lower stories may lower themselves to the ground, or be drawn inward to the ladder. P represents a winding-drum, sliding freely upon a spline, r,

L on a shaft, Pf, having its bearings on the carrier-platform, and held against rotation by the said spline. The drum has lateral adjustment on its shaft, in order that its position may be changed to suit that of the sheaves on the ladder-sections aforesaid. Upon this drum is se- A cured, in any suitable manner, a chain or rope, Q, which, when in use to raise up the hose or safety-bucket, will pass up over the sheaves aforesaid, round a pulley, p, at the top of the upper section of the ladder, down to the ground. The hose-section is provided with a hook, q1, by means of which itis engaged with 'chain Q, and it is raised by rotating the drum through the medium of a gear-wheel, s, upon the drum-shaft, and the gear-wheel s' meshving therewith, and actuated by a suitable crank. The hose being raised, its hook ql is engaged over the upper rung of the ladder, at one side thereof. Should the safety-bucket be needed to rescue the occupants ofthe house,

-the drum and sheaves are shifted to the opposite side of the ladder, chain Q is lowered, and vits-end engaged with the bail of the bucket R.

It is then hoisted to the desired point, as aforesaid, for the hose. Bucket R is provided with a strong metallic hook, q2, by means of `tion, but applied to the truck-frame at its arched portions a.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by -Let ters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a tilting platform, the adjustable transverse braces d2 of the triiclcframe, substantially as specified.

2. The-combination, with a truck, having a Vvibrating platform journaled therein, `of a gear-wheel on the journal of the platform, a `worm-screw journaled in the truck engaging therewith, and an actuating device for the screw, substantially as specied.

3. 'Ihe combination, with a sub-platform and an upper platform, vibratin g thereon horizontally, a ,master-wheel upon the under side of the latter, a gear-wheel upon the former meshing therewith, and supporting rollers between the platforms, substantially as speci- 4. 'Ihe combination of the inclined end braces El, having extension-arms E2, and adjustable supporting-legs F1, with the carrierplatform and the vibrating and adjustable sub-platform supporting the carrier, substantially as specified.

`5. The combination, with a ladder-platform and a tilting sub-platform carrying the same, of the inclined end braces, the detachable end. sections socketed into the ends thereof, thesockets upon the lower ends of said sections, the adjustable rods or casters tting in said sockets, and adjusting set-screws, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with a ladder-truck, a tilting platform jonrnaled therein, and a hori zontallyvibrating ladder-carrying platform mounted thereon, of a king-bolt extending through both platforms, and secured tothe tilting or lower one, substantially as specilied. 7. In combination with the standards D, ladder E, and shaft g1, the lateral gears I1 I1, secured to said shaft and side rails ofthe ladder, the Worm-screws I2 at each side thereof, the shaft K having, bevel-gears lc, and an actuating` mechanism for rotating said shaft, substantially as specified.

8. The reel I, sliding laterally on shaft g1, and the windingdrum P, laterally adjustable on its splined shaft, in combination with the ladder-sections, having latcrallyadjustable sheaves or pulleys, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I haveV hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT GILOHRIEST. Witnesses :4

EDW. KAISER, W. G. BAIRD. 

